Ohio’s attorney general is backing Republican Mitt Romney’s presidential bid, saying he’s best suited to beat President Barack Obama in next year’s election.

Mike DeWine said in a statement Tuesday that he’s endorsing the former Massachusetts governor because he believes Romney will bring more jobs to the battleground state of Ohio.

The endorsement came as Romney was to make a campaign stop Tuesday in the Cincinnati suburb of Terrace Park. He planned to visit volunteers at a phone center seeking supporters for Ohio ballot issues on public employee bargaining and on Obama’s health care overhaul.

DeWine – a Republican and former U.S. senator – previously endorsed former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s run for the White House. Pawlenty left the race in August, and he has since endorsed Romney.